Wright this way

The Hollyhock House in LA opens to visitors

by CAMILLE CHIN  May 2015

The first house that Frank Lloyd Wright designed in Southern California is now open for self-guided tours after a six-year, $4.5-million restoration. Built in LA between 1919 and 1921, the Hollyhock House’s floors, windows, doors, decorative moldings and paint colours have been brought back to their original state. Wright called the house’s architecture “California Romanza,” using a musical term that means “freedom to make one’s own form.” There’s a central garden and many interior spaces are connected to exterior ones. The rooftop terraces feature views of the LA basin and Hollywood Hills. The house was commissioned by Pennsylvanian oil heiress Aline Barnsdall in 1919 — and named for her favourite flower — who also wanted a theatre of her own to produce her avant-garde plays. A dormitory for actors, a studio for artists and two secondary residences were planned, but the contract was cancelled in 1921 because of cost. Thursdays to Sundays. Adults US$7. tel: (323) 913-4031; barnsdall.org.

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